2019 CSAA Conference: Maryland

" Countryside / Countrywide"

The Country School Association of America will hold its 2019 annual conference in Maryland—just outside our Nation's Capital—providing an opportunity to focus on country schools from a national perspective. These modest, decidedly local educational institutions that dotted the countryside were, of course, countrywide—with many similarities but also having important local, state and regional differences. We'll consider this local/national juxtaposition—still relevant today—at our June 2019 gathering.

Presentations: Monday, June 17 - Tuesday, June 18, 2019 Check-in: Sunday, June 16 | Day-long site visits tour: Wednesday, June 19Optional pre- and post-conference add-ons: Sunday, June 16 & Thursday, June 20Extend your stay to sightsee the area's many attractions and make a vacation of it!

LOCATION: Claggett Center Adamstown, MD, just south of the city of Frederick, MDClick here to check out the venue​​and directions from nearby airports

Conference overview:As usual, two days chock full of varied presentations, workshops and excursions Monday and Tuesday, June 17-18. Learn about the varied development of early schooling in this region, including Maryland's Freedmen's Bureau schools for African American children after the Civil War, and Dupont Schools in neighboring Delaware. Hear about the two country schools still standing in Washington DC—from when portions of the city were still rural and when schools in the seat of our democracy were segregated, as one school was for white children, the other for black children. There will even be a discussion on what it's like living in an old schoolhouse today!

Each day will also feature a keynote speaker. One will take a hard-nosed look at the consolidation of country schools in the early 20th century, while one of the most important regional initiatives stretching from Maryland throughout the South—Rosenwald schools, public schools for African Americans—will be the subject of the other keynote address.

Wednesday the 19th will be a daylong workshop of site visits to numerous restored schoolhouses ringing Washington, DC, via motorcoach, so seating is limited and first-come, first-served. Check out the schools we'll see in this preview video.

A number of pre- and post-conference optional add-ons will be offered. Arrive early on Sunday the 16th for a special showing of schoolhouse items at the Smithsonian American History Museum featuring unusual schoolhouse artifacts; opt for a guided walking tour of the quaint, historic city of Frederick; or explore the area on your own--download a list of possibilities and map here. Thursday the 20th features a "behind the scenes" Smithsonian tour or a back-to-back tour of two early 20th century white and black one-room schools—separate, yes, but equal?

Consider extending your stay in the National Capital region to visit the numerous magnificent tourist sites in Washington DC, nearby Civil War battlegrounds, and so much more the area has to offer.